Join the Appleton Public Library at the History Museum at the Castle for free interactive stories and hands on learning stations that will electrify your mind! To complete your experience, the museum is offering a special buy one ticket/get one free offer. Come prepared to experiment and be amazed by the incredible world of color and light.

What does the Fox Cities medical community and public library have in common? Prior to this year, the answer was “not much”. That will be changing as a result of an innovative grant funded by the United Way Fox Cities to begin the implementation of Reach Out and Read.

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based non-profit organization of medical providers who promote pre-literacy and school readiness in the examining rooms of family practitioners and pediatricians nationwide by giving new books to children and advising parents about the importance of reading aloud. Physicians who participate in the program promote the development of pre-literacy skills at ten well-child visits between the ages of six months to five years, making literacy promotion a standard of pediatric care. Physicians use books as tools within developmental screening to determine if children are being read to and are developing properly.

Locally, it is Dr. Sarah Campbell, physician at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, who was the first to pilot Reach Out and Read in Appleton. In a letter of support for expansion of the program throughout the Fox Cities she wrote, “It is my hope, and was when we started this program a year ago, that this will become the standard of care for children in the Fox Cities."

The Friends of Appleton Public Library will act as the fiscal agent for this grant. The library’s primary function is to select and distribute books to medical sites in the Fox Cities who choose to participate in Reach Out and Read. The position of Regional Coordinator for Reach Out and Read is funded by the United Way Fox Cities, but is working out of the Appleton Public Library. The primary function of this position is to promote the spread of Reach Out and Read throughout the Fox Cities.

“Implementation of Reach Out and Read in the Fox Cities will help ensure that all local children enter kindergarten developmentally on track in the area of pre-literacy skills,” said Tanya Misselt, Appleton Public Library Children’s Services Supervisor. “This grant has created an opportunity for us to bring change to early literacy in the Fox Cities.”

Anyone is welcome to donate eligible items, which will be used for our summer reading program; whereby students who read during the summer will receive entries to win all of the box tops, labels or Coke packaging for their school.

To donate, simply bring your box tops, labels or Coke packaging to the library. There is a fish tank located near the entrance to Children's Services where you can drop off your donations. If you have questions about the program, please see a staff member at any of our service desks. Thank you for donating and helping our local schools!